


Worth

by feverbeats



Category: Marvel
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2013-03-14
Packaged: 2017-12-05 07:32:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/720464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feverbeats/pseuds/feverbeats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This is what success looks like," Loki tells Victor when she brings Balder and the rest of the Asgardians to Latveria.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth

**Author's Note:**

> Additional warning: dubcon. Set during the "Latverian Prometheus" storyline. bluestalking's idea!

"This is what success looks like," Loki tells Victor when she brings Balder and the rest of the Asgardians to Latveria.

Victor almost says, _How would you know?_ Instead, he laughs and goes back to his lab to prepare the machines.

He can't decide if Balder is a fool or a just good at playing one. Only a fool would have come here, but Balder seems well aware that Loki is a snake.

A snake, but Victor's snake. He's had Loki at his right hand for some months now, and whether that makes _him_ a fool or not, it certainly makes Loki his business. He thought it would be easy to have Loki here pretending to cater to Balder's every whim. He was wrong.

For one thing, Loki only comes to Victor in the lab. On the first night, Victor draws her aside by the elbow and whispers, "Come to my room tonight."

Loki twists away with an odd expression and says, "Not tonight. Not as long as Balder's here, I think, Victor. I'm meant to be convincing, after all, and he's only stupid in some ways."

Then she slips away, presumably to Balder's room.

Victor has cameras in every room of his castle, including the rooms he's put his guests in, but he doesn't know that he wants to see. He tells himself that of course Loki's devotion to Balder is only an act. He tells himself that Loki is nothing to him anyhow. He tells himself that he should probably destroy Loki, too.

He leaves the cameras alone.

The next night at dinner is the first time he sees Balder after the initial feast. Balder has Loki seated next to him at all times, but after dinner it's worse. They retire of one of Victor's larger studies, and Balder seats Loki on the floor at his side.

It's all Victor can do not to grind his teeth. "I see your adviser is still with you," he says.

"In her rightful place," Balder says casually. He winds his hand in Loki's hair and tugs, hard. She falls against his thigh, looking furious and hurt, but she doesn't say a word. Victor has never been willing to pay so high a price for the success of his schemes.

"I see," he says coldly. His resolution to use and destroy the Asgardians is further fortified. It's much worse that Balder treats Loki this way in public. Even Victor's _underlings_ have seen.

Throughout the evening, Balder touches Loki. Little tugs on her hair, a hand on her shoulder, a stroke of a thumb behind her ear. It almost looks affectionate, but Victor knows better. He's so angry he can barely think, and he keeps losing the thread of the conversation.

When Balder retires for the night, Loki lingers only a moment. She looks embarrassed and quietly white with fury. "Don't say anything," she mutters to him. "We have to keep up this charade. I'm no happier about it than you are." Then she goes.

That, Victor thinks, is an understatement.

That night, he does watch the cameras. Loki sits at the foot of Balder's bed, looking restless and anxious.

"Loki, what do you say to the rumors that we're not safe here?" Balder asks.

Loki looks up demurely. "Nothing, my lord. Idle whispers from Asgardians discontent with their new home. Or that mortal who followed us here. Not even one of your subjects."

Balder sighs. "I suppose. Come here."

Loki slowly extends herself up the bed until her chin is parallel with Balder's hip. Victor wants to murder them both. Balder digs his fingers into the sensitive skin at the back of Loki's neck, pushing her face against him.

"Get on the floor," he says.

Victor's knuckles are white as he watches Loki obey without hesitation. Loki would _never_ do this for him. And it doesn't matter, because he'd never dare ask it from a god. You have to know what parts of someone to respect.

He watches as Loki sucks Balder off, her dark hair falling over her face to mask what she's doing. He watches as Balder pushes her down on her knees in front of him. He watches as Balder orders her onto her back and finally finishes in her mouth.

When Balder tells her to leave, Victor wonders if she'll make her way to his room. If he can't have anything else at the moment, he could at least offer her some sort of comfort.

But no. Of course she only goes back to her own room, where she paces silently most of the night. Her pride demands it, much as Victor's would.

When this is over, Victor swears to himself, Balder will become his most twisted experiment.


End file.
